Cygnaran Heavies - Hotrods in Blue

[Killionaire]

Of all the Warjacks in the Iron Kingdoms, none are as balanced or multirole capable as the proud heavy warjacks of the Cygnaran Army. Given that they've all come back in a huge way (alas, poor Centurion), it's worth noting what makes them some of the best Warjacks around.

Ironclad

Armament: Better than Average - POW18 Hammer, POW14 Open Fist, MAT7.
Mobility: Average - SPD5
Survivability: Slightly below average - ARM18 is not particularly durable.
Cost: Cheap. 7 PC makes it a bargain.

The Ironclad is the most perfect Warjack available. It's agile, accurate, hard-hitting and cheap. It has a weapon with a good critical, and a very potent *attack. It's speed is solid, and MAT7 is very accurate. It's defense is higher than normal, which offers some benefit.

I often take two Ironclads, instead of more advanced Jacks on the following reasoning: The Ironclad hits about as hard as Rowdy or the Stormclad, is just as accurate as the Stormclad (slightly less than Rowdy), able to do the useful tremor attack, and is ARM18. Those other jacks have higher ARM. However, a fully focus-loaded Deathjack, or a buffed Menoth jack with focus will crush either of those. Why not split the difference and take two Jacks with the almost same abilities in combat, just less armor? It's more flexible, and offers two vectors for attacking your opponent.

With certain casters or combinations, the Ironclad truly shines. With Nemo, tossing down disruption field, 3-5 focus, and possibly locomotion to get into position, and it can destroy any target in the game. I've had one Ironclad with this combination kill two Menite heavies in one activation in fact. The Ironclad's cheap cost allows you to field two or more, making the loss of one far less painful than if you lost a more expensive Stormclad. Likewise, with eStryker or Seige, an Ironclad is a powerful melee backup for a more expensive Jack.

The Tremor attack deserves special mention. It knocks down every target within 2 inches of the Ironclad, if the Clad rolls a single melee roll over their defense. This roll can be boosted. This means that you're hitting DEF17 on average! It's as if Stryker's spell, Earthquake, was available to every army. This alone can be a reason to take the Ironclad over the more expensive Hammersmith or Stormclad. You can charge a target such as a Warcaster, throw down a boosted tremor and hit him with an extra attack, while letting the rest of the army gun him down. You can knock down enemy Jacks blocking your LOS, or a large squad of enemy troopers. The uses are endless.

The Ironclad's one weakness, a lack of armor, is made up by it's strength: Low cost. Learn to use the Ironclad well, and you'll find there's a reason it's Cygnar's staple heavy warjack.

[GunMageinTraining]

Of all the Warjacks in the Iron Kingdoms, none are as balanced or multirole capable as the proud heavy warjacks of the Cygnaran Army. Given that they've all come back in a huge way (alas, poor Centurion), it's worth noting what makes them some of the best Warjacks around.


Cough... Cough... Retribution Pheonix...

Not that I'm completely disagreeing...

[Killionaire]

Cough... Cough... Retribution Pheonix...

Not that I'm completely disagreeing...

I'll take out that 10-point Phoenix with my harder-hitting 10-point Stormclad, or 7-point Ironclad any day. Especially with Cygnaran Warcasters involved... ;)

[GunMageinTraining]

Oh I don't doubt it, though I personally find Cygnaran jacks, with the exception of the Charger and Defender (to an extent) to be pretty one-dimensional. Great with the right caster, but not as diverse as one might hope, though their special abilities do give them a bit more utility than some, they can't fill as many rolls as some other jacks either.

[Manse]

Agreed, ironclads are fast becoming a staple for me. After the field test ended my love was only for the Stormclad + Stormblade combo but I'm coming around to 'clads. A pair of ironclads is a point less and puts 60 boxes at 12def/18arm with an offense nobody can afford to ignore. Hmmm... I suppose it's only 29 points to include both sets...

[Professor Lust]

I'd actually have to agree more with Killionaire here.

Sure other factions have jacks that are impressive but honestly I'd say that the IC is hands down the most versatile jack we have.

Its only one dimensional if you think that being melee only is a weakness. Between being speed 5 and having a P+S 18 hammer its not a weak jack make. Moreover as Killionaire noted having the *attack makes it a great jack to clear shooting or heck even charging lanes if you are playing kraye....

(though odd question reading page 61 of the pdf...does a knocked down model even rough terrain? What kind of space does it take up in terms of movement?)


In fact I would make the claim terms of the Ironclad and Cygnar, the IC is hands down our most effective/point efficient heavy.

[ZenBattleLust]

Aside from the disparaging remark about the cent near the beginning (it's an armor 21 jack in the faction with arcane shield, and it has reach), excellent right up. Anyone who thinks the Ironclad is one dimensional hasn't spent enough time figuring out all the nasty things you can do with tremor. Two inches of tremor is huge on a large base model (it's the equivalent of a 6" aoe). The ironclad can end up affecting models it couldn't otherwise get to. Tremor has definitely won me otherwise unwinnable games, opening up LOS, extinguishing furnaces in shallow water, setting up for a blitz trencher barrage (16 pow 11's really hurt knocked down casters). There's no end to the sneakiness. Plus, there's even pow 18 hammer that comes with that *attack!

[Killionaire]

Aside from the disparaging remark about the cent near the beginning (it's an armor 21 jack in the faction with arcane shield, and it has reach), excellent right up. Anyone who thinks the Ironclad is one dimensional hasn't spent enough time figuring out all the nasty things you can do with tremor. Two inches of tremor is huge on a large base model (it's the equivalent of a 6" aoe). The ironclad can end up affecting models it couldn't otherwise get to. Tremor has definitely won me otherwise unwinnable games, opening up LOS, extinguishing furnaces in shallow water, setting up for a blitz trencher barrage (16 pow 11's really hurt knocked down casters). There's no end to the sneakiness. Plus, there's even pow 18 hammer that comes with that *attack!

That wasn't disparaging. That was to refer to the fact that unlike MK1, the Cent doesn't overwhelm everything :P

[otakud00d]

I've been turning around to the Ironclad more and more. What usually keeps me from using it is that it's just so... bland. I understand all its pluses, but it just doesn't draw me in.

I need every point I can get though. So that's going to change. Especially now that I can have potentially TWO ironclads with the plastic kit I'm getting soon.

So. What about the Defender and Cyclone?

[ZenBattleLust]

That wasn't disparaging. That was to refer to the fact that unlike MK1, the Cent doesn't overwhelm everything :P

Fair enough. Cheerfully retracted.

[capamerica1980]

I agree with what you say about the IC but would take Ol'Rowdy (2 points difference) with an IC.. the two points of armor, better MAT and abilities makes it well worth it....

[veragor1206]

I agree, the Ironclad is definately a front runner when it comes to Cygnar's beatsticks. At first glance it is seems to be a typical warjack, but like Killionare said the combos are near endless. You can always say such and such is better because. . . In the end though he only costs 7 points, heck most light warjacks cost that much or close to it!

[Killionaire]

Defender

Armament: Excellent
Mobility: Average - SPD5
Survivbility: Slightly below average. Not that bad, given it's primarily ranged.
Cost: Average for a ranged Jack (9 pts)

The Defender has a new lease on life in MK2. As a 9 point Warjack, it compares well to every other ranged heavy. The main weapon, the Heavy Barrel, has the highest range of any warjack weapon, and the highest power of any standard warjack ranged weapon (besides the one-shot obliterator missile). It's also the most accurate heavy Warjack gun available, being a beautiful RAT6. The only thing it lacks is any form of AoE, but that's not such a big deal. When boosting, you can expect to smack most Warcasters with a shot they can't ignore. Given the LoS changes in Mk2, very little can escape being targetted and shot by the large-based defender.

But the gun is only one half of what makes the Defender a great Jack. It's melee ability is the highest of any primarily ranged Warjack. The Shock Hammer is a reasonable POW16, with the priceless ability of doing cortex damage on each hit. After being given 3 focus, you can be assured that whatever warjack you're fighting is going to be missing a cortex. You'll cripple every Warjack except the Deathjack or Avatar in a pinch. Alternatively, you can defeat most standard Warjacks in melee, though you may have to survive a round of (focusless) retaliation.

As for it's survivability, the Defender sticks around every bit as well as the Ironclad. Not particularly durable, but it'll outlast the weaker and somewhat cheaper Hunter. Where the Defender shines is it's versatility. For the initial half of the game, you're advancing and laying accurate fire to damage warjacks, ping their caster or pop solos. Later, the Defender can mix it up against enemy Warjacks and medium targets with reasonable competence.

While expensive for 9 points, all ranged warjacks pay a premium for their gun. Don't expect a single Defender to destroy an enemy warjack before it reaches your lines, but don't put such a feat beyond that of two Defenders, firing together for two turns. Again, the Defender is the one of the most capable ranged Warjacks in the game, outperforming even the much feared Retribution Hydra in all but the most ridiculous scenarios.

My favored combinations for the Defender include using it as an assassination vector and melee backup for Seige, a well-tested duo. Popping Seige's feat, getting LoS with Foxhole and dropping Rocket Cannon and Defender shots into a Warcaster is stronger than ever, particularly with Rangers further boosting RAT.

Another combination I enjoy is taking two with eHaley, running one under the Gun Mage UA. They can lay down continuous fire on the approach. I allocate 3 focus to one Defender, and use Strangeways to power boost the marshalled one. Haley deadeyes the marshalled Jack, and uses Temporal Accelleration on hers. The Marshalled Jack can then fire a 4d6 attack, with potential 4d6 damage on a crit brutal shot. Haley's Jack meanwhile can fire 1 fully boosted shot, and 1 shot with boosted attack or damage. Once the combat closes in, the Defenders can support a bonded Stormclad in melee.

The uses of the Defender are endless, and can only improve once we see what the hell Kara Sloan does...

[OniBeowulf]

Defender


Another combination I enjoy is taking two with eHaley, running one under the Gun Mage UA. They can lay down continuous fire on the approach. I allocate 3 focus to one Defender, and use Strangeways to power boost the marshalled one. Haley deadeyes the marshalled Jack, and uses Temporal Accelleration on hers. The Marshalled Jack can then fire a 4d6 attack, with potential 4d6 damage on a crit brutal shot. Haley's Jack meanwhile can fire 1 fully boosted shot, and 1 shot with boosted attack or damage. Once the combat closes in, the Defenders can support a bonded Stormclad in melee.


If the WarJack bond is correct on then you could put 4 focus on the defender that is under eHaley if you use her warjack bond on her defender which would equate to two fully boosted shots.

[Scuzzlebutt142]

Gotta say, like my 1 Ironclad, 1 Defender on Ehaley and A Defender jack marshalled by the Dude. Bond the ironclad, and at some point, drop 2 focus on the ironclad, 3 on the defender. Drop temporal acceleration on her defender, Charge the ironclad up 10", drop ur quake hammer boosted, and clear a nice line of sight for the defenders to open up with 3 shots.

[veragor1206]

Yea EHaley giving the Defender two shots with Temporal Acceleration is just sick. With a potential threat range of 25" (bonded) you can be sure to get off the first shot, lol!

[tensteam]

Just painted my Defender. It'll be good times to use it in MkII!

Worth adding is that the current line of sight rules favour heavily Defender on a hill. Defender in elevated position ignores all intervening models that are not on a large base so hiding behind other models is very hard for the opponent.

[Amarel]

I like my Hammersmith bonded to eHaley - it fixes his one issue (speed) and makes him mucho awesome.

Loving these 'Jack Summaries, btw, very good reading.

[Kuarnix]

The Ironclad's one weakness, a lack of armor, is made up by it's strength: Low cost. Learn to use the Ironclad well, and you'll find there's a reason it's Cygnar's staple heavy warjack.

Looks like someone has come around to my school of warjack thought!

[1911gunmage]

Hammer****h + nemo is fun. Supercharge that 2 hammer guy after casting distrution feild mens your on arrival attacking with up to 8 attacks if you hit with the first two (intial 2 + chain attack + 5 bought attacks) at P+S of 19.

The Hammersmith is my first strictly melee jack..might have to get the stormclad and Ironclad though the Cyclone is next on the list (likely will get a pair of them)....

Defender...was my only heavy now I have two....

I still want the Comedore Cannon on legs ...guess we'll have to wait for the next round of expansions...

[MadJack]

The Hammersmith is my first strictly melee jack..might have to get the stormclad and Ironclad though the Cyclone is next on the list (likely will get a pair of them)....
Of course, the Stormclad isn't a strictly melee jack. It shoots lightning!

[1911gunmage]

Of course, the Stormclad isn't a strictly melee jack. It shoots lightning!


This is true. But I get the impression from it that the ranged attack is secondary...as it is the better synergy from all the storm guys, the storm clad and nemo actually makes me wantto run an army of these guys....unfortunately I like more shooty so much the books, cyclones, trenchers a number of mercs and Kara all take priority for my limited funds....
I have too much stuff as it is to expand into.....I need mo' overtime...